Latest Posts
Top 5 Cozy Board Games to Warm Your Table
Over the past few years, we’ve seen an explosion in the “cozy” genre in all forms of media. Books, shows, video games, and yes, board games. But it always makes me wonder what exactly makes a board game cozy? It’s obviously not just about ease of play, but I think it’s more about the feeling the game evokes. Cozy games are gentle on competition and rich in atmosphere. They tell you to slow down, do something perhaps inane, but satisfying, and soak in the pleasure in small decisions. You’re not fighting to survive or building a bustling metropolis; you’re farming, sorting, and enjoying the process of play itself.
Bomb Busters – Board Game Review
Remember Minesweeper? Ever since I was a little kid, I was the type of person to press every button, look in every file, check every setting. When our school go it’s first Windows 95 computer, my inquisitive nature was rewarded with finding Minesweeper. Now, I’m curious, but dumb, so I just clicked around a bunch and eventually, always, blew up. It wasn’t until I was an early teenager when someone explained to me how the game worked. It wasn’t just a random grid of mines and numbers, it was a puzzle to be solved. Today’s game, Bomb Busters, designed by Hisashi Hayashi and published by Pegasus Spiele in 2024 evokes a lot of the same feelings as classic Minesweeper.
Looking Back: Top 5 Games from 2024
Every December, I scroll through everyone else’s “Best Games of the Year” lists and feel the familiar pang of jealousy. By the time those posts go up, I’ve generally only played about five titles from the current year. Hardly enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with anyone publishing a “Best of 2025” list.
But that’s okay. Being a little behind the curve has its perks. At the time of writing this post, I’ve played 110 games that were published in 2024, giving me some insight of which games actually endured the hype cycle. So instead of churning through hot takes, these are the five 2024 releases that climbed the BGG ranks this year, and what I think about them.
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King – Board Game Review
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King was designed by Justin Kemppainen, Todd Michlitsch, Alexandar Ortloff-Tang, and Michael Sanfilippo, and published by Z-Man Games in 2021. In World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, you and the other players are cooperatively journeying through the frozen continent of Northrend to face the armies of the Lich King. You each take on the mantle of one of the iconic heroes, such as Jaina Proudmoore or Thrall, and move through villages slaying ghouls and evading abominations while you take on quests before sidling up to The Lich King himself.
Top 10 New to Me Games in 2025 – Real Life Edition
Every year I write list the 10 best new to me games. Because I don’t play many games the year they’re released, this is the next best thing!
Harmonies – Board Game Review
How many puzzly abstract games do I actually need in my life? While the answer is is N+1, I have to admit that I’ve been holding off on picking up Harmonies for much too long. Harmonies garnered a lot of praise last year, hitting a lot of peoples top game of the year lists, and even picking up a Spiel des Jahres recommendation and the Golden Geek award of Medium Game of the Year.
Top 5 New to Me Games in 2025 – Board Game Arena Edition
In addition to my weekly Wednesday night group, I almost always have a small mass of async BGA games ticking away in the background. Normally, I prefer to learn games in real life. Something about touching cardboard and making eye contact with the person whose plans I’m about to ruin. Also, not having a computer to run the rules for me makes me internalize the rules much better. But this year I’ve been much more willing to join various random games pitched by the more active members of the BGA groups I’m a member of. Specifically, The Nerd Shelves and Board Game Hot Takes, where there’s a bustling little community of BGA degenerates constantly offering up new games for public participation.
Revive – Board Game Review
Revive, by designers Helge Meissner, Kristian Amundsen Østby, Eilif Svensson, and Anna Wermlund, and published by Artipia Games in 2022 seeks to replicate a similar feeling with the cover of their game. An icy, frozen wasteland marked by a pair of yellow flowers poking out of the desolate landscape, representing the earth healing itself. The game itself takes place on a blue board laden with icy blue tiles, with only the very centre of the map being inhabitable.
